Back Again
by larskygiraffe4
Summary: The Pevensies find themselves back in Narnia, but this time they arrive split up. They must reunite and find out why Aslan has called upon them once again. Not real sure where this is going yet. Might be some romance.
1. Chapter 1

The Pevensies were all having a splendid time on their vacation in Paris. The war was over, and the famous city had been returned to its former glory. Families were reunited and butter was put back on the table. Celebrations were still taking place all across the world. Loved ones were put to rest and remembered, but not mourned. Basically, life was better now than it had ever been before.

The four Pevensie children were spending a gorgeous morning out on the town. Currently, Peter was outside the coffee shop, flirting with some French girls who were passing. Or, rather, he was attempting to. His French wasn't the best, and the French girls caught on to it. They kept giggling at his clumsy attempts, which just urged him on.

Susan and Lucy sat inside the shop, drinking their coffee and commenting on their brother's foolish actions. Edmund, who had had more success, had just set up a date for that evening, and was rather pleased with himself. He was lounging in a chair with his feet up, whilst telling his sisters everything that his brother was doing wrong, not that the girls were listening.

Their mother was out touring with some friends, leaving the children, though they were hardly children, to do as they pleased. Whatever they pleased within the legal system, anyways. It was their first morning in the most famous city in the world, and they planned to enjoy it.

Eventually, Peter joined the rest of his family when the girls left. "Time for us to be going, I think," he commented.

"Going where? Do you have some important date?" Edmund asked innocently.

Susan stood up, "I agree. We've been here for an hour. At least we can find something fun."

"Yea, we can climb the Eiffel Tower," Edmund suggested enthusiastically.

Susan rolled her eyes and pointed out, "You don't climb the Eiffel Tower, you look at it."

Edmund began walking out of the coffee shop and said over his shoulder, "Then you can watch me climb it!"

The other three followed Edmund out into the street. This early in the morning, there weren't too many cars about, so they didn't have to worry about being hit. They began heading south, eventually finding something that caught their eyes: an old staircase beside the row of shops that wound up and away from the road.

"How odd!" Lucy said, walking over to the stone stairway.

"Wait, Lucy!" Susan yelled. But it was too late because her sister was already climbing up the stairs, curious as ever. The three siblings exchanged glances before chasing after her.

"Lu!" Peter called. The three of them began racing up the spiraling stairs, which went on for longer than they had expected. Their muscles were soon sore from the workout, but they kept going, all intent upon winning the race.

"Lucy! Ah!" Susan yelled.

"What . . . Shit!" Peter said as he came to the cliff where the girls were standing. He skidded, trying to stop, and almost succeeded, except Edmund pelted into his back at full speed, propelling them all over the ledge and to the ground below.

Their vision started spinning as they fell to their deaths . . . and landed on piles of soft leaves surrounded by lush greenery and trees, which were turning color for the fall.

Peter was the first to get his senses, "What . . . that must have been a forty foot drop." He looked up and saw the ledge they had all fallen off; it was maybe five feet above the ground, leaving the oldest sibling feeling confused. He turned to his brother, "And you! We would be _dead_ if that had been forty feet!"

"Give it up, Pete. We aren't dead, and besides, how was I supposed to know that we would end up on a cliff?" He turned and indicated where they had fallen from, only to look confused upon seeing the five foot high rock. "Umm . . . was this some kind of brain teaser? Like when it looks like there's a puddle on the road, but there really isn't?"

"Don't be silly," Susan said as she stood up and brushed off her skirt. "The puddles are caused by a differentiation in layers of temperatures, leading the air to be of different densities and thus, refracting the light at different angles . . . ."

"Oh my God, Sue! We haven't even been in Paris for five minutes and you are already going all smart on us. We don't care!" Edmund interrupted her scientific tirade.

"I was just pointing out . . . ."

"Nuh, nuh, nuh," Edmund held up a hand, infuriating his sister. "Don't point, just help us figure out what just happened."

"Isn't it obvious?" They all turned to Lucy. "Why . . . we're in Narnia!"

Peter spoke first, "No, Lu . . . I don't think so. Susan and I aren't going back there, like Aslan said."

"Well, he's obviously changed his mind," Lucy argued.

"What a fickle lion," Edmund smirked.

"Let's just go back the way we came," Susan suggested, drawing looks from everyone.

"Yea . . . while that isn't much of a fall, I don't think we can all haul ourselves over a five-foot ledge," Peter said skeptically, pointedly looking at Lucy.

"We don't need to! I'm telling you we're in Narnia!"

"I'm going back," Susan stated before marching over to the rock and attempting to haul herself back up.

"We should go east, east is where we should go," Edmund said confidently.

"No, we have to go west, we have more chance of seeing the Eiffel Tower if we go west," Peter pointed out.

"No, we go this way!" Lucy began marching forward, surprising everyone there.

Susan eventually did pull herself up on top of the rock, "Ah! Here we are. The stairs, like I said. Coming gentlemen?" She took a step forward, and vanished.

"Su!" Edmund and Peter yelled at once, drawing Lucy back to where they stood, trying to climb onto the rock.

Peter pulled himself up, then gave Lucy a hand up and helped Edmund. The three looked for Susan, but there wasn't much place for her to go; the stairs lay before them and beside them was think plants that had gone long unattended.  
"Maybe she went down the stairs?" Lucy suggested, stepping onto the first stair and vanishing in the same way her sister had a minute before. Peter and Edmund exchanged looks before they both ran onto the stair. Then, the whole world began to spin, and soon, they couldn't see anything.

Susan finally settled onto a patch of open meadow, the sun shining freely down on her and the air quiet. It was peaceful.

Lucy found herself surrounded by trees, all ancient and tall. The woods echoed with the calls of birds and the snapping of twigs where tiny paws trod on them.

Peter rolls over in the sand, the water lapping at his feet and the moist earth cooling to his stressed body. Around him, the roar of the water filled his ears and soothed him.

Edmund yelled as he was almost cut in half by a broadsword. A battle raged around him, in full swing. Most of the fighters were human, but some were Narnian. Edmund quickly found a safe place where he could figure out what was happening.


	2. Chapter 2

Edmund couldn't believe his eyes. There were over five thousand men fighting on the battlefield before him. None of the men donned any sigils that he recognized. One side wore red and the other wore blue. Several mounted knights from both sides rode about on their mounts, leaving trails of corpses as their respective foot soldiers cheered them on. The battle had broken up into small individual skirmishes, so that neither side held a line any longer. This battle had been going for an hour at least, judging by the corpses and the smell. Narnians ran about here and there, dressed in both blue and red. Perhaps the most astonishing thing, was the magic. Sorcerers and magicians dueled all over the field, forcing soldiers to flee before them.

As much as Edmund wanted to help, he had no idea which side he should be joining. Normally, he would have joined the Narnians, but as they were fighting for both sides, that was impossible. All he could do was observe and hope to see a familiar face.

Then, there was the question of where his siblings were. He only hoped that none of them had been hurt in the confusion of the battle. Perhaps they too were waiting in a nearby shelter, hoping for some clue as to what was happening. He could only hope that this was the case. Once the battle died down, they could all come out of hiding and live happily ever after.

Edmund was about to sit back and take a nap when something caught his eye: something large was flying in the sky. At first, he hoped that it might be a griffin, but as it came closer, he realized it was way too big. It was a very dark color, standing out against the sky. It was really long, with a wide midsection that narrowed into what appeared to be a long neck and tail. But it wasn't until it started diving that Edmund realized what it was: a dragon.

Peter sat up and looked around for the rest of his family, who were no doubt enjoying the cool sea air as much as he had been, but they were nowhere in sight. Alert, he stood up and looked around for where they could possibly be, but the endless beach stretched off into the distance for miles. Farther inland lay the tall prairie grass and woods, but that too was far away. With a thought of horror, the eldest Pevensie turned out to the ocean, looking for signs of a struggling person, but he found none.

This was a very bad situation; he knew he was in Narnia, but he had no idea where or when he was. His family was missing, granted they had even come here at all, and he had nothing except the clothes on his back. If Aslan really had sent for them, then his planning had been horrible. Perhaps they had all come to Narnia in separate locations, but that wouldn't make sense.

"Susan! Edmund! Lucy!" he yelled, only to be answered by his own echo. The next hour he spent walking up and down the beach calling for his siblings, but to no avail. Eventually, he decided that they were nowhere near him and he should focus on finding someone or something, anything, to help him.

Looking up, he saw the sun was setting to his right, over the ocean. His best bet would be to head up north along the beach, eventually coming across the ruins of Cair Paravel, provided he wasn't already north of the once-great capital. Deciding that he could make some progress before dark, he began jogging up the beach.

Susan smiled and relaxed in the peace of the serene meadow. The sun had yet to set, casting shadows of the tall grass around her. Yellow flowers were growing nearby. Turning, she picked one off its stalk and admired it. It was a Rue; gorgeous and exotic in its own way. Narnia was the perfect place for such a flower as this one.

Narnia . . . .

She frowned as the thought crossed her mind, breaking he brief peace-of-mind. She wasn't supposed to be here, Aslan had told Peter and her that they wouldn't be coming back. But, where else they could be, Susan didn't know. All she was sure of was that this had to be Narnia, and Aslan was in need of them again.

She abruptly stood up as she realized she had been sitting there, alone, for several minutes. Where were her brothers and sister? If this were Narnia, then why weren't they here? Could Aslan just have sent for her? But that wouldn't be practical; all four of them had their strengths and weaknesses. They all needed each other, and Aslan knew that. But then, where were they?

Looking about her, she saw endless grassland. There was no clear place to start looking. She hated doing anything without a plan, but it appeared that she couldn't do much here.

_Think Susan . . . . Where in Narnia is there a large meadow?_

As the idea came to her, she looked off in the north and saw a piece of land that rose above the meadow. She had a feeling that she knew exactly where she was. She was at the site of the battle with the White Witch. Now that she knew where she was, she decided to head southeast, towards Cair Paravel. If, by some fluke, the others had arrived in different locations, they too would probably be headed for the ruins.

Lucy was overjoyed to be back in Narnia. She ran over to the closest tree and placed her hand on it, feeling the dancing life within. The tree didn't move for her, but she sensed that the maple knew she was there. The slight breeze blew the branches of the surrounding forest, making the trees look like they were dancing. The youngest Pevensie laughed.

"Susan! Peter . . . . Edmund?" Her shout of joy turned into a question as she realized none of the others were with her. Perhaps Aslan had just had her come this time? But she wished that her brothers and sister were there. They would have known what to do. On her own, Lucy wasn't sure where to start.

She forced herself to focus and decided that she needed to get somewhere where she could recognize her surroundings. The ruins of Cair Paravel stuck out in her mind. Since all the forests were inland, then all she had to do was head east until she came to the ocean, then she could just move north until she arrived at the ruins.

Happy with her plan, Lucy set out towards the ocean, forgetting momentarily about her fright of being alone.


	3. Chapter 3

The black dragon was magnificent, with shiny scales that were perfectly spaced to protect its muscular body. It's tail streamed straight up behind it as it dove head-first to the ground, opening up its feral jaws as it came within firing range of the clump of red soldiers it was aiming for. Orange fire engulfed the group of soldiers, sending others around them scattering as instinct forced them to flee. Just before the dragon crashed, it banked up, pushing its hind feet off the ground and swiping soldiers with its tail as it did so.

That was odd. Dragons were far and few in the entire world, having only come across one (his cousin) in all his time in Narnia. There was something very strange happening across Narnia; now he knew why Aslan had summoned them.

Just when Edmund was sure that nothing could surprise him now, another dragon showed up. And another one . . . . And another one . . . . Until there were twelve fierce predators of the sky swooping down and reaping havoc upon the battlefield. At this point, he could only gawp, open-jawed, at the unheard of sight before him. He had never fought a dragon in all his time in Narnia, and even he, in all his skill, couldn't hope to take on one, let alone twelve. The red army scattered and fled before the onslaught, leaving the blue soldiers cheering as they chased them into the surrounding forest. The dragons actively pursued the fleeing men whilst completely ignoring the other soldiers.

Interesting: the dragons appeared to be on the side of the blue army. How were they managing to control such dominant and free creatures? This was an unanswerable question. There was still the question of where all the dragons had been hiding. In fact, there were so many questions churning through Edmund's quick mind, that he was surprised his head didn't explode.

The blue army eventually chased all of the enemy soldiers into the trees, but they still didn't stop pushing them further back. Before he knew it, Edmund was alone except for the dead, the dying, and those who were taking care of them. Now that the distraction of the battle was gone, Edmund, for the first time, saw where he was: Cair Paravel.

For about the hundredth time that day, Edmund was stunned. He gazed upon the great and elegant white stone of his capital, admiring how beautifully it stood out against the landscape. As magnificent as the castle was, it was supposed to be in ruins. Last time they had come to Narnia, they had found Cair Paravel little more than a pile of rubble, and now it was once again an inhabited capital. This left Edmund wondering if they had somehow gone back in time in Narnia, to before the Telmarine invasion.

Deciding it was safe to come out of his hiding spot, he stepped out into the open, taking care to step around the bodies scattered about. He kept hoping to hear his name called as he walked further and further into the open, but he heard nothing. His siblings were nowhere to be found. As much as this worried him, he had to find out what was going on first. He knew that they could all handle themselves, and, this way, when they all found each other, he could share his information.

While Edmund was a skilled swordsman and a seasoned warrior, he had no love for war, and the sight of the battlefield always made him sick. He walked past the corpses while trying to not actually look at them. Then, he couldn't help but stop as he saw a familiar shape amongst the dead.

Edmund collapsed to his knees on the blood-soaked ground, not caring that it was staining his clothes. A centaur lay before him, several arrows had pierced its dark body until it had finally fallen prey to a dragon's jaws. The teeth of the beast had mauled the poor Narnian barely recognizable. Despite this, Edmund was still able to glean some features that allowed him to recognize his old general, Glenstorm.

While Edmund was never one to let his emotions get in the way, he had no problem with showing grief for one he had loved as a friend. The two of them had been through a lot together, and it was a shock for the king to meet his friend again only after he had passed to Aslan's kingdom. Taking a deep breath, Edmund placed a hand on Glenstorm's cold flank. It was all so confusing, and the fact didn't quite hit home.

If Glenstorm was alive, or had been, then the others probably were too. Caspian, Trumpkin, and Reepicheep. But then, what was the whole battle about? Why were the Narnians split up? Was Caspian losing control? These questions, and many more kept plaguing Edmund's mind. Right now, he didn't have time to grieve over his fallen friend, but instead, had to fix what was causing the war that had led to Glenstorm's death.

A hand on his shoulder startled him. Turning his head, he stared into the face of a red dwarf. The dwarf was covered in blood and dirt, rendering his features obsolete. The stress of the war showed on his lined face, which was full of much sorrow at the suffering that surrounded them. In his hand, the dwarf held a small, clear bottle that contained a red liquid that looked like wine. Based on his attire, he was from the side that had fled the battle, no doubt staying behind to take care of the dead and wounded.

"Is he dead?" the dwarf choked out, in a voice that was filled with grief.

Sadly, Edmund nodded, and stood up to allow the dwarf to say his good-byes. Falling to his knees, the dwarf flung his arms around the dead centaur, saying, "He was a friend, you know. A dear, old friend. Of course, he wasn't the first to fall, but we had gone through so much together that it just . . . . Are you a healer?"

Edmund, taken off guard by the question, took a moment to answer, "I . . . um . . . well, no, not exactly. But I was a friend of Glenstorm's too. I'm very sorry."

"If he had only still been breathing, then I could have saved him, but them fire-breathing beasts did him in. They will pay their own, one day." The dwarf stood up and saluted the fallen general one last time before signaling to a couple of centaurs who were clearing out their own dead. The two centaurs came over and pushed their comrade onto a kind of gurney that they held between their bodies. Then, they walked off the battlefield to take Glenstorm into his afterlife.

"I love centaurs; loyal to the end, they are. Trumpkin," the dwarf said, holding out his hand.

Had it not been for the last gesture, Edmund would have looked around for his old friend, but instead stood stock-still, staring open-mouthed at the dwarf in front of him, unable to say anything in reply.

"Something wrong with your manners, boy?"

"Uh, no. But, it's just that you caught me by surprise," Edmund shook the offered hand, not sure what he should say next.

"Well, are you going to tell me your name, or do I have to make up one for you? You seem familiar though. Have we fought together before?"

"No, um . . . . I'm Edmund."

"Edmund, well that sounds familiar . . . ." Trumpkin froze, his eyes flickered up to Edmund's face, as if to make sure he was correct. "Merlin's beard! There's no way . . . where did you say you were from?"

"I didn't. But, if you must know, I'm from another world and I came here with my two sisters and my older brother, I think. I haven't actually seen them, so I'm really not sure if they are here at all. Have you seen them?"

"Beards and bedsteads, it really is you! So what are you doing here?"

"Well, I assume Aslan sent for us to help clean up this little war you lot have gotten yourselves into. But, I was actually going to go to Cair Paravel and pose as a visiting noble from another land in order to learn something. Speaking of Cair Paravel, what happened? Last time, it was a pile of dust."

Smiling grimly, the dwarf grabbed Edmund's arm and began dragging him back towards the woods, away from the gruesome sights and sounds of the battlefield. "We have much to talk about," Trumpkin whispered.

After the two of them had found a nice, shaded area to talk, Trumpkin began his story.

"It was a year after you lot left when Caspian decided he wanted to rebuild Cair Paravel as tribute to you all. That took two years. After that, he moved his capital back here, leaving the Telmarine castle up north for nobility or royalty who wish to stay for awhile in Narnia. He placed a man called Kael as steward over the castle.

"One night, Kael and his man came down here for a visit. During the night, they took over the castle and threw Caspian in the dungeons. They claimed that he was an imposter, and that he was out to ruin our country. Well, some believed him and went over to his side, but others knew that he was a traitor and are now fighting to free Caspian and overthrow Kael. For two months now, we have been fighting, and I see no end in near sights."

"Caspian's in the dungeons?" was all Edmund could say.

Trumpkin nodded and Edmund smiled, "Well, it's all simple enough then, isn't it? I infiltrate the castle and disguise myself as a guard, find our glorious king and free him. I can't believe that you lot hadn't thought of that."

"Do you take us for fools? Of course we thought of that, or something close, anyways. We have tried several times to plant spies, but once they go in, we never hear from them again. It's eerie. Mark my words, there's something brewing in that castle, and I want no part of it."

"Nonetheless, I still want to try."

"Are you deaf? _They never came back_! What do you think you can do that our men couldn't?"

"Everything. You are talking to the master of . . . well, everything. So, can we go back to your camp so that I can talk this through with your leader?"

"So help me, Aslan," Trumpkin muttered mutinously. "Alright, but be warned, if you go into that castle, you might have to face the dragons."

"Pssh! Dragons. I laugh in their faces, haha!" Edmund said while, at the same time, feeling the first beginnings of doubt as he stood up and began to follow Trumpkin to the army's camp.


	4. Chapter 4

Edmund had had a success with his plan. He had met with the leader of the resistance, a human known as Aven, and the man had instantly agreed to let him infiltrate the castle. Now, Edmund was riding towards the gate of the magnificent Cair Paravel with an armed escort of four guards. The king was dressed in fine nobles' clothes bearing the emblem of Archenland. Trumpkin was atop one of the five horses, dressed as a guard.

The guards on duty hailed Edmund and his men, asking who they were without sounding the least bit interested. Keeping it simple, Edmund stated his made-up title and said that he was visiting royalty from Archenland. The guards, in turn, waved them in and directed them to the king's audience chambers.

Only once the gate had closed behind them did Trumpkin dare speak, "We made it in. Now we have to speak with Kael. Remember: keep it simple and lazy. You are stuck-up nobility speaking to a ruler of a foreign land. You wish to visit friends in the castle . . . ."

"Trumpkin," Edmund interrupted, "I know what I'm doing. I was once a king, remember? And I'm also a very skilled liar."

"You still _are_ a king, Your Majesty," Trumpkin replied, making Edmund smile.

The group dismounted their horses, which were taken to the stables by the stable hands. On foot, the five men entered the open double-doors that led into the capital.

The inside was all polished white marble and granite. Paintings hung on either side of the hallway, some of past kings, others of glorious victories, while yet others depicted scenery throughout the kingdom. From the ceiling hung chandeliers containing dozens of lit candles. Elaborate doorways on either side led to mysteries unbeknownst to the visitors. It was all exactly as Edmund remembered it; down to the last minute detail in the paintings. It was as if he had gone back in time . . . and it was all impossible. What deviltry was at work here? There was no way that this could be. Rebuilt, yes, but an exact replica in every way? No, that was impossible.

At the entrance to the throne room stood the herald, who was no doubt awaiting them. Upon seeing them, he politely inclined his head to the visiting noble and his escort. Then, without so much as a word, he opened the door on the left to admit them to the audience chamber, which, to Edmund's surprise, wasn't the throne room.

The herald cleared his throat, "Presenting the visiting party of Lord Amond, son of the Lord and Lady Hildegard of Archenland."

And, with that, the herald left the chamber, shutting the door silently behind him.

Focusing on who he assumed was Kael, Edmund walked forward until he was within the proper distance of formal talk with an enthroned steward. Trumpkin and the rest of his party had stayed back by the entrance, as was proper, but they all swept into a bow with Edmund.

"Lord Amon, you may relax," Kael said in a deep, warming voice, which surprised Edmund, who had thought he would have the cold, cruel voice of a dictator. The steward's appearance matched his voice. He was sturdily built, with a tall frame that was well-muscled. It was the body of a warrior, of a man who was used to working hard for his living. The face, in contrast, showed about thirty-six years of weatherd age upon them. The ruler's dirty-blonde hair was cut off at the neck, and his short beard gave him the look of a man who would always be ready for anything. The most puzzling part of his appearance were his deep green eyes, which held genuine kindness and curiosity. It was the last part that put Edmund on edge; he didn't want this man to be curious about him.

The large man was smiling at Edmund, who felt compelled to smile back. "Welcome, welcome all of you!" Kael shouted to Edmund's companions. "I must say, it is a pleasure to have company in such times as these. No trouble getting here then?"

"Ahh . . ." Edmund began before composing himself, "No, it was no trouble at all, Your Honor. I'm just grateful for your hospitality. My parents have been so worried about Tabitha, that I just had to come and ascertain that she was alright."

"Ah! Well stay as long as you want to! Just be careful; we are at war, and it would be a shame if one of our guests went missing under our own roof."

At the last part, the steward's voice had turned harder and more serious, and Edmund felt a chilling sensation run up his spine. He was unable to tell if that was a threat, but he decided not to take it lightly, and instead replied, "Will do, Your Honor. I hope to see you again soon." Giving a swift bow, Edmund waited until Kael dismissed him before turning and walking slowly back to the doors and his escort, feeling the eyes of Steward Kael boring into him the entire time. His mind was racing, telling him to bolt while he still had the chance, but he kept the façade of calm, and forced the slow march until he finally made it to the entrance, which was opened from the outside by the Herald.

They all slipped out the door, and Edmund snuck one last look at Kael, who was sitting on his raised chair, thoughtfully rubbing his hairy chin, before the door shut and cut him off from view.

A servant led them to their living quarters, all of which were right next to each other, but where the four "guards" had to double up in simple, one-room quarters, Edmund got a luxurious sleeping chambers attached to a washroom and an office. All in all, it was pretty nice.

Edmund sat on his downy bed, contemplating over his meeting with the steward. The man had appeared friendly and normal enough, until that last thing he had said: _Well stay as long as you want to, just be careful; we are at war, and it would be a shame if one of our guests went missing under our own roof_. It was an odd enough thing to say at all. If it were a threat, then it was a thinly veiled one, but what else could it have been?

Then, there was the question of whether or not the happy, easy-going man who he had just met was capable of all that Trumpkin had told him. His answer, was yes. Edmund trusted Trumpkin and knew that the dwarf wouldn't have told him that story if it weren't completely true. So, either Kael was a very, very good actor, or there was something going on under the table, and Edmund was going to find out what it was.


End file.
